Cratediggers weekend! Enjoy last Week’s show. Nuff vinyl in all styles and fashion. Wailers Family Tree. Mutant Dub. Best of Smile Jamaica – Year 1 (1989-90.
bless, robt
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Annotated Playlist – May 21, 2016; 68 sec.
Set 1:
Sidney Jackson – Hit Me With Music; Hit Me With Music (Trojan) ’74 UK vinyl
Dub Specialist – Sitting With Stupid; Juck’s Incorporated (Studio One) ’76 JA vinyl: Dub Album of the Hour
Kingman + Jonah feat. Claudious Linton – So Wrapped Up; Sign Time (Sun King) 2008
Zema – Praise B4 Battle; Look at the Heart (Melchizedek) ’99 So Cal female singer
10 Ft. Ganja Plant feat. Sylford Walker – Hard Times; Shake Up the Place (ROIR) 2011 Upstate NY
Revolutionaries – PLA; Hitbound Revolutionary Sound of Channel One (Heartbeat) ’76 dub. People’s Liberation Army (Communist China)
<Tributes to 70’s revolutionary movements – The Revolutionaries (Sly & Robbie); 22 sec.>
Tapper Zukie – Chalice to Chalice; MPLA (Virgin Front Line) ’78 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
<Jamaican saying: I came to drink milk, not count cow; 14 sec.>
Aquizm & Mad Professor – Kunta Kinte; 10” (Ariwa) 2008 UK instrumental over Creole’s “Beware”
<Alex Haley’s Roots = Kunta Kinte; 20 sec.>
Kunta Kinte = Alex Haley’s Roots
Set 2: Wailers Family Tree
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Jah Live; Rastaman Vibration (Deluxe Edition) ’76: single livicated to HIM
<HIM overthrown by Ethiopian Communists – Jah Live; 55 sec.>
Celebrating 27 Years of Reggae Radio! Give thanks!
Greetings,
Spring 1988. Salt Lake City/University of Utah Campus. Reagan’s last year in the White House; 21 sec.
Ronald Wilson Reagan – 666. Did fund the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives via Student Loans and Pell Grants. Give thanx! Ronnie Raygun. Believed in UFO’s too
Celebrating 27 years of Reggae Radio. My roommate and I were in The Pie (University of Utah campus) listening to Community Station KRCL. They were looking for early morning hosts. Him and I went to the new volunteer meeting. He wanted to do College Rock. They had enough of that. I was interested in doing Reggae.
I had been a volunteer at the Univ. of Utah’s K-UTE “radio” station that only broadcast in the Student Union. Called my show Positive Vibrations after the Marley tune. But that wasn’t real radio. But gave me the idea Terrestrial Radio was something I wanted to do.
If I could commit to 3-6 AM, I could do a Reggae Show. Late Spring of ’88 radio training. 4th of July weekend: The debut of 3 O’Clock Road Block: Graveyard Roots Reggae Ska and African music. During the coldest winter in Decades. Praise Jah for AAA!
<1988 Alaska Clipper Winter; 34 sec.>
I was cratedigging in Montana during the actual 27 year date and the July 11 show was to commemorate that legacy. 43 sec.
Tunis, Montana – Suburb of Fort BentonPaid my dues early Mornings: 3 O’Clock Roadblock: Monday 3-6AM. KRCL 90.9FM July 1988-Aug. 1989
<Montana Roadtrip – Climate Report; 47 sec.>
bless, robt
Founded 1846. The Birthplace of I ‘n’ I: The Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives
SMILE JAMAICA ARK-IVES: JULY 11, 2015 PLAYLIST:
27 Year Anniversary: Best of the 70’s: Polyester nah jester! 15 sec.
The 70’s – Roots Reggae highpoint showcased on Smile Jamaica for two and a half decades plus
Set 1:
Naturalites – Picture on the Wall; Rub-a-Dubble Reggae vol. 1 (CSA) ’83 UK
Scientist – King of Dub (Kingdom) ’81 Dub Album of the Week
<First Dub Album added to the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: May 1987; 12 sec.>
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Jah Live; Countryman Soundtrack (Mango) ’76; you cyaan kill God!
<Jah Live – Bob’s comments on Selassie’s overthrow, 1974; 54 sec.>
The Dergue: Ethiopian Communists overthrow His Imperial Majesty, 1974.
Burning Spear – Door Peep Shall Not Enter; Presenting Burning Spear (Studio One) ‘70
Or read the story and look below for the Annotated Playlist
Greetings,
Aww, strolling down memory lane. 25 years every Saturday on Smile Jamaica. As the Ark-Ive grows, it just takes too long to cull from A to Z. All the Vinyl especially. I just reminisce too much on each album. Where I bought it, why I bought it. Are there herb tunes or Marley covers I forgot about? Halloween ditties or other oddities….and on and on and on.
So my methodology was to try my best to re-create a potential first episode. (I actually debuted first Saturday of KRCL’s Fall Radiothon). So I knew I would have to have a representative from at least a dozen or so of my original favorite artists….all on Black Wax. 50 Records where I get to juggle, consistently from show to show, between 32-35 selections over 3 hours.
I knew I had to feature these artists:
Bob Marley
Don Carlos
Jimmy Cliff
Burning Spear
Lee Perry’s brooding Black Ark sound
Roots Dawtas
Seven Leaf
UK artists
Adrian Sherwood’s Mutant Dub ON U Sound label
The Clash – discovered Reggae via UK punkers before Marley, Tosh and Bunny
Everyone on the floor of my dorm at the U of U got to “enjoy” this album. Perhaps my all time favorite?
Plus songs that I absolutely loved in the 1986-1988 Era:
Culture – Calling Rastafari
UB40 female toaster V’s Version from the rare dubble disk UK version pared down to a single in the US – Baggariddim
Big Youth – Get On Up. Hardcore Reggae disco funk
Sister Frica – One in the Spirit: From Methodist Sunday School to Pablo’s “Far East” Jamaican sound
Arthur Louis – beautiful version with Eric Clapton of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Below is the Annotated Playlist: Reggae History Lessons, Soundbites, Playlist, photos and captions.
On this Playlist, I search deep in my LONG term memory to try and remember where I would have purchased these Black Wax Vinyls; 1986-1988. Most of these Record Stores are gone now, but back in the day it was a Vinyl Paradise. Lps were cheap to make way for these new gizmos called CDs.
Thanks for being a part of 25 years listening to Smile Jamaica. Forward ever, backwards never!
bless, robt
25 Years of the Red Gold and Green. Give Thanx!
Playlist: Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Sept. 20, 2014
Set 1: 25 Year All Vinyl Is Vital Showcase
Black Uhuru – Party Next Door; Anthem (Mango) ’84 US (Smokey’s Records, SLC)
Bullwackies All Stars – Recording Connection; Black World (Wackies) ’79 Dub Album of the Week; NYC
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Jah Live; Countryman Soundtrack (Mango) ’82 US (Cosmic Aeroplane, SLC); single recorded 1976
<Reggae History Lesson: Bob Marley: You cyaan (can’t) kill God! 25 sec.>
Rita Marley – Beauty of God’s Plan; Rita Marley (Trident) ’81 UK (Streetlight Records, SF)
Culture – Calling Rastafari; Calling Rastafari (Nighthawk) ’82 Various Artist St. Louis, Jah-ssouri (Randy’s Records, SLC)
<Reggae History Lesson: US Record Labels slinging Reggae; 30 sec.>
Black Slate – Legalize Collie Herb + Legal Dub; Rasta Festival (Alligator) UK 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement; ’81 Jah-cago blues label (Rasputin Records, Berkeley)
T Shirt from Year 1 of the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive (circa 1988). 1976 single written after Haile Selassie was overthrown as Emperor of Ethiopia and imprisoned by the Dergue (Ethiopian Communists)
Set 2:
Desmond Dekker – Big Headed; Compass Point (Stiff) ’81 UK (Streetlight Records, SF)
Junior Byles – Cally Weed; Rasta No Pickpocket (Nighthawk) ’86 herb tune; St. Louis, Jah-ssouri (label promo)
The Selecter – Bristol and Miami; Celebrate the Bullet (Chrysalis) ’81 2 Tone Brit Ska; about riots in UK and FL (Mad Platter Records, SLC)
Don Carlos – Living in Harmony; Prophecy (Blue Moon/Magnum) ’85 UK (RAS mail order, DC)
Ferguson 2014. Miami 1980
Set 3:
The Congos – Children Crying; Heart of the Congos (Congo Ashanty) ’77 JA; Lee Perry/Black Ark/Upsetters (RAS mail order)
Big Youth – Get On Up; Rock Holy (Negusa Negast) ’80 JA (RAS mail order)
Burning Spear – Jah a Guh Raid; Hail H.I.M. (Burning Spear) ’80 JA (Rutabaga Records, SLC)
Sister Frica – One in the Spirit; Rockers All Star Explosion (Alligator) ’83 A. Pablo prod’n; Sunday School Hymn (label promo)
While my Dad was on the City Council. Methodist Sunday School hymn
Set 4:
Alpha Blondy & the Wailers – Jerusalem; Jerusalem (Stern’s) ’86 UK; Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa (RAS mail order)
Desi Roots – Weedfields; Doing it Right (Hawkeye) ’80 UK; herb tune (Esoteric Records, Sacramento)
Dillinger – Check Sister Jane; King Pharoah (Blue Moon/Magnum) ‘84 UK; Marley Waiting in Vain – Johnny Clarke (Greensleeves mail order, UK)
One of hundreds of gems my Smile Jamaica predecessor, John “Rutabaga” Resse, turned me on to circa 1987-88
Set 5:
Arthur Louis – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; This is Reggae Music vol. 2 (Island) ’75 US Bob Dylan cover (Smokey’s Records, SLC)
<Arthur Louis and Eric Clapton cover Dylan; 32 sec.>
<Reggae History Lesson: Reggae’s love of AM pop and black soul; 23 sec.>
Jimmy Cliff – Keep Your Eyes on the Sparrow; Best of Jimmy Cliff (Island) ’75 Jah-taly; folk ballad (Half Price Records, Berkeley)
UB40 & Sister V – V’s Version; Baggariddim (Virgin) ‘85 dubble disk. Update of Boy Friday rock steady classic (Randy’s Records, SLC)
Perhaps the best Zimmy cover of this out of hundreds. Eric Clapton on guitar
Set 6:
Ruffy & Tuffy – Third World War; Climax (Black Star) ‘88 Finland (Tower Records, SF)
<World War III as predicted by Nelstradamus last Feb. during Ukraine Coup; 16 sec.>
<Cold War II, Electric Boogaloo: Obama v. Putin; 20 sec.>
Lone Ranger – Legalise the National Herb; Hi-Yo, Silver, Away! (Greensleeves) ’82 UK herb tune (Tower Records, Las Vegas)
Leroy Smart – Rock and Come On; On Top (Micron) ’82 Can. (RAS mail order)
Full Experience feat. Aura – Young, Gifted and Broke; Aura Meets Lee “Scratch” Perry at Black Ark Studios (Blue Moon) Fr. Nina Simone cover; Black Ark w female vox (RAS mail order)
Cold War II – Proof that the sequel is never as good as the original
Set 7:
Casselberry & DuPree – Coming in From the Cold; City Down (Icebergg); ’86 Jah-waukee Marley cover (label promo)
The Clash feat. Mikey Dread – Bankrobber/Robber dub; Black Market Clash (NuDisk) 10” US (Randy’s Records)
Johnny Clarke – Rebel Soldering; Don’t Trouble Trouble (Attack) ’88 UK; Bunny Lee comp (Smokey’s Records)
<Smile Jamaica Reggae Lexicon: Soldering or Welding; 10 sec.>
Flick Wilson – Slave Master; School Days (Jah Life) ’80 JA (The Beat, Sacramento, CA)
10″ Vinyl picture sleeve Nu Disk. One of the very first additions to the Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives. Randy’s Records, Salt Lake City; Oct. 1986
Akabu – Time; Akabu (Viva) ’89 UK female roots group (Rough Trade, SF)
Dub Syndicate feat. Bim Sherman; Strike the Balance (ON U Sound) ’89 Fr (ON U Sound mail order, UK).
Singers & Players feat. Mikey Dread – School Days; Staggering Heights (ON U Sound) ’83 UK (Rough Trade, SF)
New Age Steppers – Stabilizer; Foundation Steppers (ON U Sound) ‘82 (ON U Sound mail order)
African Head Charge – Stebeni’s Theme; My Life in a Hole in the Ground (ON U Sound) ’81 African w/ female vox (Cosmic Aeroplane, SLC)
Rutabaga Reese turned me on to Adrian Sherwood and the ON U Sound Mutant Dub Massive. Circa 1987
Smile Jamaica is hosted by Robert Nelson on 90.9 FM KRCL in Salt Lake City, Utah (Saturdays, 4-7 p.m. MT). Ark-ives available weekly here at the Smile Jamaica blog.